The Scoop: Just Announced: Over the weekend, IFBB Pro Dennis Wolf was declared an
Arnold Classic champion -- for the second time in one year -- winning 1st
place at the 2014 IFBB Pro Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic Europe
Bodybuilding Championships in Madrid, Spain. IFBB Pro Shawn Rhoden
finished in a close 2nd place, rising from 4th place last year. IFBB Pro Dexter Jackson took 3rd place, which had been
occupied by Wolf last year. Up one spot from 2013, IFBB Pro Victor
Martinez captured 4th place. IFBB Pro Roelly Winklaar filled the 5th
slot, a notch above his placing last year.

The "So What?": As reported in "Andrew Oye's Pro-Muscle Report," the IFBB Pro Olympia
Qualification Series Point System: (1st automatic qualification, 2nd - 6
Points, 3rd - 5 Points, 4th - 4 Points, 5th - 3 Points) applies to IFBB
Pro League athletes' eligibility to compete at the 2015 Joe Weider's
Olympia Weekend to face reigning Mr. Olympia Phil Heath in Las Vegas
(September). This was the first contest of the new IFBB OQS season. The
Arnold Classic Europe is a Tier 2 contest, i.e., one of few to award
more points per placing than Tier 3 and Tier 4 contests. After winning
the Arnold Sports Festival's 2014 Arnold Classic USA in March, Dennis
Wolf became the fourth Arnold Classic Europe champion, following 2013
winner 4-time Mr. Olympia IFBB Pro Phil Heath (who did not return to
defend the ACE title), 2012 champ Shawn Rhoden and 2011 winner Victor
Martinez. In addition to the bodybuilding, strongman, powerlifting,
fitness, MMA, wrestling, CrossFit and martial arts competitions at the expo, the
event's namesake received a special honor. Actor, former California
Governor, and legendary 7-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger was
named the first-ever Ambassador of Tourism by the City of Madrid.

Andrew Oye's Verdict: What happened in a week's time to propel Dennis Wolf from 4th place at
the Olympia, behind 3rd place Shawn Rhoden, to Arnold Classic Europe
victor, ahead of 2nd place Rhoden? Whatever it was worked for the judges
in Madrid, and provided Wolf with the first-time record of two Arnold
Classic bodybuilding titles in a single year. Undoubtedly, Wolf had
fewer hurdles on his way to his ACE win, avoiding the added pressure of
certain contenders -- namely, Phil Heath and other athletes who were on
the pre-contest competitors list but did not ultimately make it to the
stage, such as IFBB Pro Mamdouh Elssbiay (a.k.a. "Big Ramy").

On
that note, Elssbiay had actually taken 7th place at the 50th
Anniversary Mr. Olympia Championships (a.k.a. the "Super Bowl of
bodybuilding") after suffering a torn hamstring muscle (just a month
prior) that ultimately caught up with him in Spain. According to
contest-prep coach IFBB Pro Dennis James, Elssbiay was ready to
participate. "He realized that the pain was so severe that he could not
step onstage and compete, knowing he couldn't squeeze and flex the way
he needed to in order to be competitive. So he decided to not go
onstage...He is very sorry and wants [fans] to know that he tried his
best but sometimes even a warrior spirit is not enough and some injuries
just need time to heal."